Colorado isn’t in a bowl game — again — but that doesn’t mean the Buffaloes don’t have a vested interest. They should watch two games very closely: Saturday’s Gator Bowl and Monday’s Orange Bowl.
Yes, Michigan vs. Mississippi State and Stanford vs. Virginia Tech do carry Colorado connections. The central figures in those games will be Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, who’s on the No. 1 hot seat in the land, and Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh, who’s merely the No. 1 hot coach in the land.
You don’t need to be a conspiracy theorist to see Michigan brooming Rodriguez on Sunday, conveniently 24 hours before Harbaugh finishes his season. All indications point to Harbaugh bolting Stanford for Michigan, his alma mater.
This would be huge news for Colorado. It could severely alter the axis of power in the Pac-12.
Colorado enters its new league next year in the worst five-year spiral in school history. It would help if one of the two power programs in the conference lost its power source.
Stanford likely will lose quarterback Andrew Luck to the first pick in the NFL draft, but the loss of Harbaugh would be bigger. In four years he took a 1-11 team with arguably the toughest academic standards in the FBS and came one bad half at Oregon from playing for the national title.
USC is on probation, UCLA is down, Arizona State isn’t what it was and Arizona has lost five straight. Colorado might enter a league with fifth-ranked, 11-1 Stanford having to get up off the mat after getting pole-axed by the early departures of its star quarterback and coach.
And Harbaugh looks gone.
Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby has already offered a contract — beyond the current deal that ends after the 2014 season — that would be worth $3 million, including deferred money and housing assistance. That’s a colossal deal from a school that views athletics as more recreation than religion.
Harbaugh didn’t sign it. In fact, he even claimed Bowlsby misspoke when he said four weeks ago, “Jim has indicated he plans to accept it.”
How hot is Harbaugh? Some in the Bay Area believe the 49ers whacked Mike Singletary on Sunday, a week before the season ended, to get a headstart in the Harbaugh sweepstakes. One NFL source told the San Jose Mercury News that Harbaugh is the 49ers’ “all-or-nothing guy” right now.
However, Harbaugh is known as a control freak, and in college the coach is in total control.
Rodriguez also looks gone at Michigan. AD Dave Brandon is a former Michigan defensive end who, when hired last January, gave Rodriguez no promise he’d keep him after this season. Lately, Brandon has said nothing other than he will evaluate Rodriguez after the season.
The NCAA violations that resulted in a hand slap won’t be a factor. Neither will the “coincidence” that the firing would come after Jan. 1 which, as per his contract, would save the school about $1.5 million.
What will matter is Rodriguez has gone 6-18 in the Big Ten and in losing to Ohio State all three years has been outscored 100-24. The defense finished 108th nationally this year.
Brandon also sees a perfect storm in Harbaugh. The guy lived in Ann Arbor from third to 10th grade and idolized Bo Schembechler. You don’t think Michigan alums are in pain over this seven- game losing streak to the Buckeyes?
Harbaugh is a loyal and proud alum.
“He’s a Michigan man, through and through,” said Bill McCartney, an assistant at Michigan in the ’70s with Harbaugh’s dad, Jack. “It’s in his blood. You can take that to the bank. He bleeds maize and blue.”
Harbaugh even avoided the Michigan team banquet honoring his 1985 10-1-1 Fiesta Bowl champion team. He claimed he was recruiting. But the awkwardness would be on a par with an ex-lover you still pine for showing up at your wedding.
He’s saying all the right things in Miami. He told the Mercury News, “I only talk about the job I have now.”
You can bet he’ll talk next week. And the Buffaloes should listen.
